Shortly after eating, wants to eat again (e.g. forgets they already ate)

Has had a recent weight change (e.g. clothes are looser, tighter)

Eats unusual food combinations

Will eat food that is spoiled or rotten (e.g. doesn't recognize that food is gone bad)

Appetite | General Description

MemoryMemoryThe ability to process information that requires attention, storage, and retrieval. impairments and damage to neurons in the brain result in changes in eating habits as Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's diseaseA neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role. progresses. Good indications of a change in eating habits are any weight changes that recently have taken place. A weight loss or gain provide clues to whether the person you care for is having difficulty eating, whether they are overeating or whether they are not eating at all. In the early stagesStagesCourse of disease progression defined by levels or periods of severity: early, mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe, they might have stopped eating because they find grocery shopping to be difficult and tiring. In addition, memory impairments lead to many difficulties with eating. The person may eat again if they have forgotten that they just ate, or they may stop midway through a meal because they have forgotten what they were doing. The taste of food is also often affected by Alzheimer's disease. This may explain changes in the types of food eaten, such as increased junk food or sweets, and it may explain a new dislike for a favourite food. The person you care for may find the process of meal preparation too difficult and tiring. In this case, they may prepare simple meals with minimal cooking, such as tea and toast. Often these people are missing important vitamins and nutrients because they are not getting a well balanced diet.

People with Frontotemporal dementiaFrontotemporal dementiaA type of dementia that mainly affects the frontal lobe causing a problem in executive function tasks. often have an increase in their appetite resulting in weight gain. They may decide to have frequent meals and choose foods that are sweet. In later stages they may become fixated on eating certain foods constantly and finding a healthy diet may become difficult or impossible. Food supplements and vitamins could be tried.

Impaired appetite can be an early signSignIn medicine a sign is what a physician finds by examining a patient. For example, a patient with the symptom of pain might have signs of a fast heart rate, a pale face, a clammy touch and tenderness. of dementia. It is also common in depressionDepressionA disorder where a person experiences a constant state of sadness and low mood which interferes with their daily activity.. Impaired appetite can be an adverse medicationMedicationA compound that is used to treat a disease or illness. reaction, or a sign of other illnesses. For all these reasons, it is important to talk to a doctor about impaired appetite or weight loss in a person with dementia.

If this symptomSymptomIn medicine a symptom is what the patient complains of. For example, a a patient may have symptoms of pain and fatigue. is affecting your daily life SymptomGuideTM can help you understand and communicate with your doctor and family members. You can start using SymptomGuideTM now by creating your individualized profile.